Plecostomus Tips

From: Anonymous
I have not had much luck with them in my tank. I have 2 fantailed gold fish, and 2 guppies in a 20 gallon aquarium. Each time I get one they don't tend to live more than a week or 2 at most. At first I thought maybe I had gotten a sick one, but after 2 I've finally said the problem has to be on my end. Any help would be appreciated.

It could be many things causing their demise. If you keep your tank walls and the objects in it clean by scrubbing them with an algae scrubber then your fish isn't going to have much to snack on. You can always make sure they get what they need nutritionally by using Algae Wafers that sink to the bottom of the tank. As they get older they seem to hang out on the sides of the glass less and then you definitely will need to use the algae wafers. If you've been getting the common pleco, they get really big (18 inches - 46 cm) and a 20 gallon will be way too small for them. Look into the Bristlenose which should stay much smaller.

Check your water parameters with a freshwater test kit and write us back with what you find out so we can diagnose further. More specifically, check the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH levels.

From: Vincent & Gina
We have tried them in our 10 gallon tank. The tank seems very clean, we have an outside filter. Could they be starving?

They may be not getting enough to eat and you could make sure they are getting enough by giving them sinking algae wafers. You have a bigger problem though. The common pleco gets very large (18 inches or 46 cm) and you need to keep them in a much larger aquarium - 55 gallon or larger.

From: Abi Morris
I've had my pleco for about 5 weeks now and he seems really happy, but I've noticed his underside seems to be getting much lighter in colour. Is he sick or is this normal? Please help!

They can change their color slightly from time to time. Check your water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH) and make sure that they are within acceptable ranges.

From: Tank
We are currently on our 3rd common pleco. Unfortunately, I believe our 1st two starved to death as a result of not knowing to supplement their diet with algae tablets, shrimp pellets, par-bolied zucchini pieces as well as romaine lettuce. I am happy to say that our current Pleco is doing well, and has grown from 2 inches to 8 inches in almost the 1yr. that we acquired him. They are a bit more work than alot of fish as their tank should be "vacuumed" on a weekly basis to keep the water from becoming polluted and an unhealthy enviroment for all, but they are worth their weight in gold.

From: Joel
I got my common pleco in my 55 hexagon tank. I've had him for half a year now and I'm happy to say he has grown from 3 in to 8 and a half inches.